Ask the Patriarch 188
Why are you spending time, money and effort on this?

from: Lorraine

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I found your site via Douglas Todd's blog.

Question: for a group that doesn't believe in God you sure spend alot of time, money and effort on a non existent God. Why?*

The Patriarch replies:

Lorraine:

Quite frankly, I find your question somewhat offensive. You are not addressing the ideas being presented in this web site - if you were to do so, I would publish such an attack quite happily in the Talk Back or Debate & Discourse sections - rather you are attacking me for actually having the nerve to publish what I think. You seem to have the idea I should remain silent about agnosticism. That's not going to happen; if you don't like what I am doing and if you are incapable of addressing the ideas presented, then simply go away. Nothing forces you to read any of this site.

There are literally tens of thousands of web sites promoting various forms of Christianity; and thousands more promoting other forms of religion and spirituality. All of them take time and effort, and many of them are also require money. And I'm sure that you would disagree with many of them.

Have you written to anyone else asking them essentially same question you asked me? If not, why not?

If others can publish web sites about their beliefs without you criticizing their existence, why do you think you can criticize the existence of a site about disbelief? Really, why?

Lorraine - it is my time, it is my effort, and it is my money. As far as the finances for the site are concerned, I don't ask for donations, nor do I claim any tax deductions. (Which is quite different from many religious sites.) Thus, I am accountable to one and only one person for what I put my resources into. I am in no way accountable to you for any of it. So why are you asking the question? My time, my effort, my money are none of your business.

But I will tell you some of the reasons that I maintain this website.

I am doing it because I want to do it.

I am doing it because I think it is important.

I am doing it because agnosticism is insufficiently promoted and discussed elsewhere.

I am doing it because others find it useful / informative / entertaining to use the site as a place to exchange ideas, both pro and con.

I am doing it because it tells other agnostics "You are not alone!"

I am doing it because many other agnostics express their appreciation for what I am doing.

And, in some ways, I am doing it because it continues to annoy those who think everyone should believe in a deity and who expect us to silently accept that deity stuffed down our throats.

And Lorraine - lack of belief in a deity is not a reason for keeping quiet on the concept of a lack of belief in a deity. It is a reason to stand on the rooftops and shout to believers "Believe what you want, but don't impose your unfounded beliefs on us."

Note (16 Nov 08):

* Subsequently, Lorraine has written to advise that her question was a poorly written attempt at a joke. Perhaps her question may have been intended to be directed at the word "apathetic" - which has been answered before and linked from the FAQ section on the main page. Perhaps my answer to the original question as I understood it is a little strong and I may have expressed more annoyance than warranted, but I stand by the points I made.